Should Texas Lawmakers Give Gun Makers a Tax Break?

Despite national controversy surrounding guns, some Texas lawmakers are trying to attract firearms manufacturers to the state.

A bill offering incentives to attract manufacturers of guns, ammo and related hardware to Texas will go to the full Senate for a vote.

SB 1467 would offer tax breakers to firearms makers at a time when other states may shy away from sponsoring the industry and the bill’s author, Senator Craig Estes of Wichita Falls, calls laws that limit firearms manufacturing “unwarranted intrusions.”

“Texas remains a state open to business, committed to free market principles and supportive of its citizens’ constitutional rights, especially the Second Amendment," Estes said. "We should welcome these companies that are apparently unwelcome in other states.”

States like Colorado and California already have laws that ban high-capacity ammunition magazines. If passed, the bill will use funds from the Texas Enterprise Fund to attract manufacturers to the state.

SB 1467 passed the Senate Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Homeland Security Committee with a 3-0 vote. The Senate will vote on the bill in the next few weeks.

Taxes on businesses are not paid for by businesses. They simply raise their prices and the people pay the taxes. I always laugh when people cheer when politicians say they want to tax "big oil" for example but the people then complain when gasoline price increases. All that happens when companies are taxed is the companies become tax collectors for the government. In short - the people are really just taxing themselves and they even cheer about it. Best scam going because most Americans are complete morons

When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America , you get a front row seat. - George Carlin

"Tax breaks" to incite businesses to locate in an area are standard operating procedure. The municipalities justify it by claiming the added benefits (jobs, etc) will make up for the tax loss.

If your business is sizeable, you can get different municipalities into a bidding war. No taxes? Nice, but how about severely discounted electricity, water, or gas? Widening the road and putting a turn lane in front of your storefront? Paying for grid upgrades for your electrical service or trenching for your gas and water lines? Changing signage and traffic light timing to benefit your storefront? Exempting you from local environmental laws (noise, parking lot drainage, food waste, etc.). Changing zoning to prevent competitors from moving in later?

Outfits like Wal-Mart are masters at playing that game.

Sometimes you can actually get some place to PAY you cash money to move your business there. Is that great or what? Back when I used to run SCCA Solo events, the Nationals were held at the geographic center of the United States, which was Salina, Kansas. But Topeka paid them cash money to move the events to their city, justifying it to the citizenry by claiming it would "bring more money in." Since the money would be mostly spent at chain gas stations, chain restaurants, Indian-owned motels, and chain parts stores, I have my doubts as to how much of that money stays in Topeka past the next bank deposit, but hey, that's business!

Personally, I think it's dishonest favoritism and a misuse of taxpayer funds, but that's pissing in the wind of Progress...